Stewart 5

the lights isn’t perfect, but you get the idea. hope you like it!

(click to go to larger photo in photo album)

explanation here.

i have some pics of the process. anyone interested in those as well?

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An explanation of my new tattoo, soon to be unveiled when I can get a pic taken and posted in the next day or two now that it is done and nearly finished peeling…

Last year was quite significant for me in my understanding of God’s pursuit of our hearts. I suppose our time with our friends Sean & Jean Daly was a big piece of that. With them, we spent a considerable amount of time considering the great love God has for us and his pursuit of us, his beloved. I was challenged to consider what in my story keeps me from embracing that. Further, what wounds need to be healed in order to pursue God myself? Powerful and lasting stuff – I am still considering and working through some of these issues and truths. I am also reminded of a line from Rob Bell’s “Sunday” Nooma dvd – “God wants our hearts… hearts that are becoming like His” And Isaiah 58, which we spent a considerable amount of time with last year, makes it clear that God doesn’t desire empty rituals. Instead, he wants hearts that are turned toward Him.

God is love. Love God. Love your neighbor. The greatest of these is love. This is sort of a central theme of scripture. This is not a new theme, not new information to me. BUT, I am coming to actually experience/understand that God is after our hearts to the exclusion of all else. He isn’t impressed by what we can do. He doesn’t need us to save the world. He wants our hearts to become as they were meant to be – full of love – just like His. Then, frankly, the rest happens flowing from that. God is the King of Hearts.

Over the past several years, I’ve begun the slow journey of getting in touch with my own heart – my desires, my longings, my capacities to care for others. 2002 (our apprentice year with NieuCommunities) was a breakthrough year in this regard. Since then, it’s been big at times, slow at others. But being part of NC has afforded me generous opportunities to explore this most critical pursuit. I am also surrounded by amazing people who are much further along than I. Fortunately, they are all reasonably encouraging and patient with me as I learn.

Another big turning point came last year. While reading Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy for the 5th time or so, I was caught by a small phrase he was discussing from the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth ,where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21). This caught my attention because I am constantly considering how I spend my time, priorities, etc.

So, I asked myself, where can I invest that moth and rust don’t destroy? What is eternal, and not subject to decay? Where should I be putting my time, my effort, my heart? In people. People’s hearts are eternal. They do not die. That’s where I need to invest my treasure. With that, I believe I am desiring to join with God and his desire for hearts. I align myself with the King of Hearts.

For those of you who play cards reasonably often, you will know that the King of Hearts is also the “suicide king.” This king holds a sword that looks like it is sticking in the side of his head. There’s a whole long history of why the card appears this way, but I think it suits (ha ha) my meaning as well. The King of Heart must die to himself. Fill in your own scripture references here (there are tons), but let me just summarize to say that love comes at the highest of costs – sacrifice. But it also allows the greatest of rewards – manifesting and participating in God’s very essence – love. You will see when the pic is posted of how we captured the idea of the king who dies in order to love – the dead and living king therefore being one and the same.

My hopes for this particular post are threefold:

1. to offer explanation to those of you who got to see the tattoo during the NieuCommunities conference that I never had the opportunity to explain this to
2. as a teaser for those of you who are waiting to see it – you know i have something – and reading this can only increase your interest
3. to share with all of you the meaning behind this piece of art. it has deep significance to me, much more than I have written here, but this is enough for now. You can always ask questions for more info/clarification

Pics to follow soon, I promise

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hi dr. nick…

we’re hosting our NieuCommunities conference, which officially starts tomorrow.  Which pretty much means we’re officially welcoming loads of guests since last night.  so glad we have that extended worship time yesterday!

as such, not sure how much i will post in the next few days.  HOWEVER, wanted to give the teaser that I got a tattoo this past Wednesday.  Colour and shading will be done this Tuesday.  Only my friend Andrew has pics of the ink so far (outline, which btw looks great by itself), so if I can’t get to them in the next few days, I promise to post some pics after it is done.

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so much for writing more blog posts….  friends, i’m sick.  going on a week.  if i don’t get better by Friday, i will see the doctor.  i think it’s due to exhaustion.  so, theoretically i should be able to rest and get better.  of course, rest means not doing so much – always a challenge for me.  and, exhaustion turned to sick may now have morphed into something that requires medicine…

in other news, i was going to get a tattoo today.  but, the roof collapsed at Ant’s house, so he had to attend to that and couldn’t come into work.  Rescheduled for the 26th – will keep you updated.

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Finally put the 5mm tunnels in last week.  Here’s a so-so pic (sideways, again??).

Note: we are in the first week of orientation with our new apprentices, so I haven’t been blogging much.  Hope to write more soon, so much to share…

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I spend a fair amount of time with playing cards, particularly during our weekly poker game at Pangani.  Recently, I’ve been thinking about the King of Hearts, maybe even as a possible tattoo…

A lot of what we do with NieuCommunities is helping people explore their hearts, know their hearts, connect with God’s heart.  Interestingly enough, it’s a journey I desperately need to engage myself.  And again, I find myself thankful that I get to do this for a living.

So I am drawn to the King of Hearts.  Not because I am him.  But because I want to be him.  To be comfortable with who I am, to be able to share this with others, to have a heart that is big and open.  That’s who I need me to be, who my family needs me to be, who my colleagues need me to be.  I had thought about the Jack of Hearts – the high servant.  But why not aim for the King?

Traditionally, the King of Hearts is a “suicide king.”  He is depicted with a sword going through his head (it’s actually behind his head, but that’s not nearly as interesting is it?).  For me, its a reminder that for me to grow in hearts, I must “die” more and more to myself.  My heart will only increase as I become less self-centered.  Interesting too that the sword is going through the king’s head – the great barrier in my life to my heart.

So, maybe the King of Hearts is being dealt to me.  We all know that I AM married to the Queen of Hearts   Perhaps she’ll consider letting me get some ink to this effect…

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